JERUSALEM — Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and veteran politician Avigdor Lieberman threw their weight behind Gadi Eisenkot on Monday, 2 November 2026, strengthening the opposition leader's bid to form Israel's next government as President Isaac Herzog prepares to begin formal consultations on 4 November after an inconclusive election on 27 October left no bloc with a parliamentary majority.
Bennett's Together party said it would recommend Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, to Herzog, according to Anadolu Agency, while Lieberman confirmed at a news conference on Monday that his Yisrael Beytenu party, which won seven seats, would also back Eisenkot. The endorsements come as Herzog has urged party leaders to show flexibility and find creative compromises to avoid another election, warning that Israel is in danger of unravelling from within.
Illustration: A parliament plenary chamber during a tense government-formation debate. This is an illustration, not a photograph of a real event.
What Happened
Israel's Central Elections Committee published final results on Friday, 31 October, confirming the deadlock. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud won 27 seats, Eisenkot's Yashar won 21, Bennett's Together (B'Yachad) won 12, the Democrats won eight and Yisrael Beytenu won seven, according to results reported by Anadolu Agency and other outlets. In the 120-seat Knesset, the pro-Netanyahu bloc won 53 seats, opposition Jewish parties won 48, and Arab-led parties won the remaining 19 — leaving neither main bloc near the 61 seats needed for a majority.
On Sunday, Bennett's party announced its decision, taken on Bennett's instructions, to back Eisenkot. Israel's Channel 12 reported that Yair Golan's Democratic Party also planned to recommend Eisenkot during the presidential consultations, although Golan had not made an official announcement at the time of reporting. On Monday, Lieberman said he completely ruled out joining a coalition with Netanyahu and proposed that former prime minister Yair Lapid take the Knesset speakership, according to reports of his news conference.
Separately, Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported that Netanyahu was exploring a unity government with Eisenkot, with US President Donald Trump and President Herzog acting as guarantors — a claim reported by secondary outlets on 2 November and not confirmed by either leader's office. A Likud official was quoted as saying high-level discussions were under way and that Herzog and the US president would act as guarantors for Eisenkot in any such arrangement. The report should be treated as unconfirmed until the parties themselves confirm it.
Background
The 27 October election was Israel's latest attempt to break years of political instability. Netanyahu lost his governing majority but outperformed expectations, denying his opponents a clear path to unseat him, Reuters reported on 2 November. Eisenkot, a former chief of the general staff, has campaigned for what he calls a Zionist government with national service for all, and has argued that voters delivered a verdict against the government in office on 7 October 2023.
Herzog, 66, is no stranger to Israel's coalition crises. A former Labour leader and opposition leader, he was elevated to the presidency by the Knesset in 2021, days before a broad coalition unseated Netanyahu for the first time in 12 years — only for Netanyahu to return 18 months later. Since then Herzog has hosted compromise talks during the judicial overhaul crisis, and over the past year he has faced public pressure from Trump to pardon Netanyahu over longstanding corruption charges, pressure he has so far resisted, Reuters reported.
Illustration: Political leaders seated around a negotiation table with documents and flags. This is an illustration, not a photograph of a real event.
Why It Matters
The arithmetic explains why every endorsement matters. If the two Arab-led parties — the Joint List with 11 seats and Ra'am with eight — recommend Eisenkot, as senior officials told Walla they were expected to do, Eisenkot would arrive at Herzog's consultations with 67 recommendations: 48 from the opposition bloc plus 19 from the Arab parties. That would be a powerful signal to the president, even though Eisenkot and his allies have previously drawn a red line against including Arab parties in a government.
The alternative paths are all difficult. A Netanyahu-led government would need to find eight more seats beyond its 53. A unity government spanning Likud and Yashar would command a large majority but would require both rivals — and their parties — to accept power-sharing, rotation or policy compromises they have long resisted. A third option, a minority Eisenkot government tolerated from outside by Arab parties, would be fragile: as one Likud voice quoted in reporting put it, a government formed without Likud would be unlikely to survive long.
Beyond the coalition arithmetic, the stakes are regional. Trump and Netanyahu spoke by telephone on Saturday, a call Hebrew media linked to regional security preparations regarding Iran, although details were not disclosed. Whoever forms the next government will inherit decisions on security, the economy and the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men — the draft issue that helped bring down the last coalition and that Eisenkot has put at the centre of his platform.
What Happens Next
The formal process begins this week. Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg is scheduled to submit the official results to Herzog on 4 November, the day the president begins consultations with elected parties. Herzog has said he will start with smaller parties before summoning the two largest formations, Yashar and Likud, on Thursday afternoon. The new Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on 10 November, and Herzog must task a Knesset member with forming a government by 11 November.
The designated candidate will then have an initial 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. If that candidate fails, Herzog can ask another Knesset member to try for 28 days. If no government emerges, Israel faces the prospect of yet another election — the outcome Herzog warned against on Sunday when he urged representatives to come "with an open mind and an open heart" and find creative solutions.
Illustration: A stately presidential residence at dusk as officials arrive for consultations. This is an illustration, not a photograph of a real event.
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FAQ
Who won Israel's 27 October 2026 election?
No one won outright. Likud won 27 seats and Yashar 21, but the pro-Netanyahu bloc took 53 seats and the opposition bloc 48 in the 120-seat Knesset — both short of the 61 needed for a majority, with 19 seats held by Arab-led parties.
Who is Gadi Eisenkot?
Eisenkot is the leader of the Yashar party and a former chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He is campaigning for a Zionist government with national service for all.
Why are Bennett and Lieberman backing Eisenkot?
Bennett's Together party said on Sunday it would recommend Eisenkot to President Herzog, and Lieberman confirmed on Monday that Yisrael Beytenu's seven seats would back Eisenkot, while ruling out a coalition with Netanyahu.
When will President Herzog choose who forms the government?
Herzog begins consultations with parties on 4 November, after receiving the official results, and must task a Knesset member with forming a government by 11 November. That person then has 28 days, plus a possible 14-day extension.
Could Israel face another election?
Yes. If no candidate can assemble a 61-seat majority within the time allowed, Herzog can try another candidate, and if that also fails, Israel would head back to the polls — the outcome Herzog has urged leaders to avoid.
Sources
- Reuters, "Isaac Herzog: the mild-mannered middleman in Israel's political brawl", 2 November 2026.
- Anadolu Agency, via Daily Imroz, "Bennett's party backs Eisenkot to form Israel's next government", 2 November 2026.
- Kan public broadcaster reporting on a possible Netanyahu–Eisenkot unity government, as reported by The Indian Messenger, 2 November 2026 (unconfirmed).
- Reports of Avigdor Lieberman's news conference, 2 November 2026, via Demócrata and Voice of Emirates; government-formation timeline via Newsy Today, 2 November 2026.
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